Why We Struggle: The Biblical Truth About Mental Health

How God meets us in a world shaped by brokenness, trauma, and spiritual battles.

Last time, we explored why your struggles matter to God — not in a shallow or sentimental way, but in a deeply biblical way. Scripture shows us a God who sees, who understands, and who draws near to the brokenhearted. But that naturally leads to the next question:

If God cares so much… why do we still struggle?

Why do anxiety, depression, fear, and emotional pain cling so tightly?

Why does life feel heavier than it should?

To answer that, we need to look honestly at the world we live in — a world shaped by brokenness, wounds, biology, and spiritual battles. Understanding why we struggle doesn’t magically remove the pain, but it does something just as important:

It removes shame.

It brings clarity.

And it opens the door to hope.

Disclaimer

Mental health is not just a spiritual issue. Our emotional struggles can involve biology, trauma, environment, relationships, and many other factors. This post is not meant to diagnose, treat, or replace the care of trained mental health professionals. If you are struggling, please consider reaching out to a licensed counselor, therapist, or medical provider alongside your spiritual support.

Extreme close-up of a human fingerprint with the text “You are wonderfully complex.” overlaid. — A fingerprint reveals the intricate design of your humanity.

1. The Fall: How Brokenness Entered the Human Story

To understand why we struggle, we have to go back to the moment everything changed — the moment sin entered the world and fractured everything God made good.

Genesis 3:1–19 (NLT)

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

This moment introduced shame, fear, hiding, blame, pain, conflict, and struggle into the human experience.

In other words:

The world is not the way God originally designed it to be.

And our mental health struggles are part of that brokenness — not a sign of personal failure.

Two people sit together on a couch, one offering a comforting hand to the other in a moment of emotional support. — A quiet moment of compassion and connection.

2. Wounds: How Deep Hurt Shapes the Heart and Mind

When we talk about “trauma,” many people think of physical injury. But Scripture shows us that emotional wounds can be just as real, just as painful, and just as life-altering.

The Bible is full of people who carried deep emotional wounds — fear, betrayal, exhaustion, grief, and despair.

One of the clearest examples is Elijah.

1 Kings 19:3–5 (NLT)

Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.

Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”

Elijah wasn’t weak.

He wasn’t faithless.
He wasn’t “overreacting.”
He was wounded — emotionally, spiritually, physically.

Wounds shape how we think, how we react, how we trust, and how we see ourselves. And God’s response to Elijah shows us His heart:

He doesn’t shame the wounded.
He cares for them.
He restores them.
He meets them where they are.

Hands gently hold a cracked ceramic bowl repaired with gold, with the text “Grace restores what’s broken.” — Restoration through grace, held in human hands.

3. Biology: The Physical Side of Emotional Struggle

We are not just souls.
We are not just minds.
We are not just bodies.
We are integrated beings, and Scripture affirms this.

Psalm 139:13–14 (NLT)

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Your brain chemistry, hormones, nervous system, and physical health all play a role in your emotional experience.

Biological factors don’t make you “less spiritual.”

They make you human.

God designed your body with incredible complexity — and sometimes that complexity needs support, treatment, or healing.

A person gazes over a calm lake at sunrise, with the text “Fix your thoughts on what is true.” — A quiet moment of reflection by still waters.

4. Spiritual Warfare: The Battle for the Mind

Scripture is clear: there is a spiritual dimension to our struggles. But it’s important to approach this with balance — not fear, not denial, and not exaggeration.

Ephesians 6:10–12 (NLT)

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

The enemy attacks through lies, distortion, accusation, and confusion.

And the primary battleground is the mind.

But God does not leave us defenseless.

Romans 12:1–2 (NLT)

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

God transforms us by renewing our minds — reshaping our thoughts, our beliefs, and our inner narratives.

And He invites us to participate:

Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

This isn’t positive thinking.

It’s spiritual formation.
It’s discipleship at the level of thought.
It’s learning to recognize lies and replace them with truth.

A person stands tall with sunlight behind them, forming a glowing silhouette with the text “Your struggle is not your identity.” — Standing in the light of truth.

5. Where We Go From Here: Hope for the Journey Ahead

Understanding why we struggle is the first step toward healing. But it’s not the last step — and it’s certainly not the most important one.

The good news is this:

Brokenness is real, but so is God’s restoring work.

Wounds are deep, but Christ’s compassion is deeper.

The battle is fierce, but the Spirit is stronger.

Over the next twelve weeks, we’re going to walk slowly, gently, and biblically through the most common emotional battles Christians face — anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, fear, trauma, identity, grief, loneliness, anger, addiction, and hopelessness.

Not with quick fixes.

Not with shame.

But with the steady hope of Christ, who renews our minds, heals our wounds, strengthens our bodies, and protects our hearts.

You are not alone in this journey.

And you are not without hope.

A man sits alone on a park bench at dusk, head bowed and hands clasped, with the text “Why do we struggle?” above him. — A quiet moment beneath the weight of the world.

Continue the Journey

This post is part of an ongoing series on faith and mental health. You can follow the full series here:

https://www.discipleblueprint.com/category/menthalhealth

Already published in this series:

Satan and Mental Health: Understanding the Battle for the Mind – https://discipleblueprint.com/satan-and-mental-health-understanding-the-battle-for-the-mind/

A Biblical View of Mental Health: Why You Struggles Matter to God – https://discipleblueprint.com/a-biblical-view-of-mental-health-why-your-struggles-matter-to-god/

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